Film record card and method of making same



Oct. 18, 1966 J. MORTON FILM RECORD CARD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 27, 1959 N OHEH.

INVENTOR JOHN L. MORTON ATTQRNi;

J. L. MORTON 3,279,111

FILM RECORD CARD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME I Oct. 18, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 27, 1959 18,1966 J. L. MORTON FILM RECORD CARD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed May 27, 1959 .1 I: .liI II United States Patent 3,279,111 FILM RECORD CARD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME John L. Morton, Endicott, N.Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Continuation of application Ser. No. 816,261, May 27, 1959. This application July 26, 1962, Ser. No. 214,788

8 Claims. (Cl. 40-158) This invention relates to record cards which are used in card-controlled tabulating machines, information retrieval systems and the like, and it relates particularly to record cards of the type wherein a paper body is laminated with photosensitive film, stencil tissue or some other laminar material, such cards often being referred to as aperture cards from the fact that the paper body of the card usually contains an aperture through which a recordbearing portion of the laminar material is exposed. This application is a continuation of my application, Serial No. 816,261, filed May 27, 1959, now abandoned.

A problem that is likely to arise when laminated aperture cards are used in data processing machines is the tendency of these cards to have excessive thickness when they are produced by prior manufacturing methods. Cards having excessive thickness can cause serious malfunctioning of the apparatus in which they are employed. One of the major difliculties involved in keeping the card thickness below an objectionable magnitude is the fact that the paper web from which the cards are made must have suflicient stiffness to anchor the laminar material, and if the lamination is of relatively thick material such as plastic film, this makes it difiicult to keep the thickness of the manufactured cards within tolerable limits. The only alternative form of film aperture card commercially available at the present time is an unlaminated type of card manufactured by a relatively expensive method that is not suited to mass production.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing aperture cards which will avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages of prior methods.

A feature of the invention is the employment of an abrading or milling operation which removes material from a traveling web of cardstock down to a certain depth therein, thereby forming in the web a central recess or groove adapted to receive the photosensitive film or other laminar material. The laminated cardstock produced by this operation has a uniform thickness (except for the absence of cardstock in the. apertures) which does not exceed the normal recommended thickness of tabulating cards, and it has the advantage that the longitudinal edge portions of the paper web are left at their original thickness, thereby giving the paper the required stiffness for anchoring the laminar material. The material-removing operation can be performed upon the web in a continuous manner or intermittently depending upon whether the lamination will extend the entire length of the card or for only a fraction of the card length.

In making use of a grinding operation to produce the shouldered portion of the card which surrounds the aperture and to which the film piece is secured, it was found that a vastly superior film record card was obtained. Cardstock used in the trade generally runs around .007 inch in thickness and film can run from .003 to .005 inch in thickness. The prior art teaches the use of compression to form the shoulder around the aperture and it has been found that when cardstock is compressed to a depth of .003 inch and a film mounted that shortly thereafter the compressed card fibers'would raise or restore toward their original position causing the film to buckle and protrude from the face of the card. In processing the cards 3,279,111 Patented Oct. .18, 1966 the protruding film would be creased and eventually would also work loose from its bond. In addition it was found that calendering or depression of the cardstock to a depth of .003 inch or more produced a shoulder which was stiff and brittle and which eventually would break off carrying the film with it. By first grinding a depression in the cardstock and then cutting out the aperture within the ground area, shoulders surrounding the aperture were produced which were uniform throughout in thickness and which did not change so that the film was maintained wholly between the planes of the opposite faces of the card. Also, the reduced cardstock forming the shoulders was flexible enough to support the film without breaking off.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide an improved aperture card having a ground shoulder portion surrounding the aperture to which a film piece may be adhesively secured.

A further object of the present invention is to produce an improved aperture card by first grind-ing a depression in cardstock, cutting out an aperture within said ground area, and adhesively securing a film piece to the ground shoulders surrounding said aperture.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of certain apparatus employed to manufacture laminated aperture cards according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on an aperture card produced by the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are views showing various portions of the apparatus illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of apparatus employed to manufacture laminated aperture cards according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial elevation of a device employed in the apparatus of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an aperture card produced by the apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an apparatus for manufacturing laminated aperture cards C, of the type shown in FIG. 2, according to the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a web W of paper cardstock is led from a supply reel 10 through web straightening rollers 11 and 12 and feed rolls 14 to the wheel 16 that is to perform the recessing or grooving operation upon the web W. The wheel 16, FIGS. 1 and 4, may be an abrasive grinding wheel having a width equal to the width of the recess 18 that is to be formed in the card C, FIG. 2. It is contemplated also that a milling cutter may be employed as the materialremoving wheel 16. In the present embodiment the web W passes between the wheel 16 and a stationary bed 19. A suction device 20, FIG. 1, located adjacent to the wheel 16, removes the paper dust which results from the operation of the wheel 16 upon the web W.

The recess 18, FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, which is formed in the web W and the cards, C by the material-removing wheel 16, FIGS. 1 and 4, has a width and depth substantially equal to the width and thickness of the laminar sheet or strip 22 which is to be mounted on the card C. It is assumed herein that the strip 22 is a photosensitive film, but the invention is not'limited to the use of such laminar material. In the card which is illustrated in FIG. 2, the recess 18 extends the entire length of the card C by virtue of the fact that the wheel 16 operates continuously upon the web W while the latter is traveling. Subsequently herein, it will be explained how the apparatus from. The same steps could be -were moved intermittently, and cut during its stationary intervals by members that To utilize the principles of can be made to operate so that the recess extends for only web W at regularly. spaced intervals therein. In the pres.-

ent instance it is assumed that one aperture 26, FIG. 2, is formed in each card-1ength section of the web W; however, it is obvious that if desired, several such apertures can be formed in each card by an appropriate arrangement of punching mechanisms. 3, the flying punch 24 includes a punch member 28 and a die 29, which respectively are connected by parallel linkages or cranks to the shafts of web feed rolls 30 and 31, respectively. In a well known manner, the punch 28 and the die 29 will engage each other periodically, while they are traveling with the web W, to form an aperture 26 in the web without interrupting the motion of the latter. .The particular construction of the flying punch 24 is not relevant to the present invention.

After leaving the punch 24, the web W proceedstoward an adhesive applicator roll 32, FIGS. 1 and 5, the cylindrical surface of which is supplied with adhesive from. a container 33 associated therewith. The roll 32 is adapted to enter the recess 18 in the web, and it cooperates with an adhesive-repellent pressure roll 34 so that if any adhesive should pass through an aperture in the web W, it will be repelled from the surface of the roll 34 and not smear the under surface of the web. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the recessed web W, after leaving the adhesive applicator roll 32, enters a pair of feed rolls 36 and 37 between which the strip of film 22 or other laminar material is led from a supply reel 38. The fihn 22 is laid in the recess 18, where it is secured to the web W by the adhesive previously applied to the recessed area.

After the film 22 has become associated with the web of cardstock W by passing between the rollers 36 and 37, the resulting laminated web passes betweenpairs of pressure rollers 40, 41, 42 and 43, which hold the film 22 firmly in place until the adhesive has set. From thence the laminated web proceeds to a cutoff unit 44, which contains a flying shear or rotary knife for cutting the laminated web into cards C. The severed cards are then delivered to a receptacle 46. The diagonal corner cuts (FIG. 2) can be made in the cards by the cutoff 'unit 44.

The essential elements of the system shown in FIG. 1 i

are the material-removing wheel 16, which forms the recess in the. web W, suitable means such as the roll 32 for applying adhesive to the recessed portion of the web before the strip 22 is associated therewith, and means including the rollers 36, 37, etc. for laying the strip of film 22 or other laminar material into the recess in the web. Variations in the illustrated arrangement can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; For example, while it has been assumed that the adhesive is applied to the web after the apertures are formed therein, it would be feasible also to define the apertures only partially by scoring their borders, then apply the adhesive to the web and subsequently push out the scored aperture sections just before the strip 22 is applied to the web. Such variations would be merely incidentalto the main steps of the process herein disclosed and claimed.

It has been assumed hereinabove that the web W is maintainedin continuous motion the-supply reel until the cards C are severed thereperformed if the 'web with the web being punched do'not travel with the web.

the invention most efilciently, however, it is preferred that the web W be kept in continuous motion throughout the card manufacturing process.

The card illustrated in.FIG. 2, which is produced by Referring again to FIG..

from the time it leaves of. The longitudinal edges ofthe recess 18 are spaced from the longitudinal edges of the card or web by por- ,the apparatus shownin FIGS.-1 3, 4 and 5, hasa longitudinal groove or recess 18 extending the .full length theretions 50 of the cardstock which have the originalthickness of the web. These thickedge portions 50 [help to. maintain the stiffness of the web so that vit will effectively anchor the film 22 .or. other lamination. It is desirable that some portions of the web 'be left at their original thickness so as to counteract any tendency of the strip 22 to curl and thereby deform the cardC. Thefilm 22 is of such thickness. than its outer. surfaceJis flush with the edge portions 50.:

FIG. 8 illustrates a slightly different type can be assembled in accordance with the principles of the invention. In this modification the body of the card 52 has a recess 54 which extends for only a partof the card length. The recess 54 is longer and wider than the aperture 58, with. which it communicates. A suitable film inw sert 56 is mountedwithin the recess 54 .forexposure through the aperture 58. The recess 54 is produced by intermittently grinding or ,milling the web of cardstock in a manner which will now be explained. 1

Referring to FIGS.1 6 and 7, the paper web W is' fed between a material-removing wheel 60 and a bed 62, the.

latterbeing mounted for reciprocation toward and away.

from the periphery of the wheel 60, a cam 64, acting againsta follower 66 connected to the bed 62, causes. the

bed 62 periodically to rise and move the 'web W against:

the wheel 60.. The intermittent action of the wheel 60 upon the web' Wforms shortr'ecesses 54 spaced intervals in the web;

After the intermittently recessed web has passed through the punching station 66,FIG.6,.to have the apertures such as 58 (FIG. 8) formed in its'recessed portions, it then proceeds to a rotary adhesive applicator 68 so constructed that it applies adhesive only to the recessed portions of the web. Individual strips of filmor other lami-.

nar material, such as the'film strip 56, FIG. 8,are applied to the recessed portions of the web at a film-applying station 70, FIG. 6. Apparatus for performing this type of operation can readily be provided by persons skilled in the art. After leaving thefilm-flpplying station -70, the web passes to a cutoff station 72,} where the web the individual aperture cards 52, FIG. 8.

While the invention has been particularly shown and 1 described with reference to preferred embodiments there-. r

of, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention."

What is claimed is:

1. A record card adapted to receive an aperture and film secured over .said aperture, which comprises a paper card having an area in one face. recessed to a predetermined depth, said area being recessed to a depth not less than the thickness of said film, said area and the re mainder of said card having the substantially unchanged. .and uncompressed fibrous. structure of the ollglnal card stock, and an adhesive coating on said recessed area, said area being adapted to providea recessed adhesively coated shoulder to which a film may be secured. 2. A record ,card as defined in claim 1 wherein 1sai recessed area is spaced from. all edgesof the card- 3. A film record'card comprising a paper card havi ng an aperture therein surrounded by a portion of saidcard L which has been recessed to a predetermined depth and coated with an adhesive substance, said recessed portion 2 and the remainder of said card having the substantially un-' changed and uncompressed fibrous structure of the :original card stock, said recessed portion being spaced from 1 7 all edges of said card, and a film secured to the adhesive .coated recessed portion of said card, said film extending over said aperture and being not greater in thickness than .the depth of said recessed portion, said ground portion 1 --having a. uniform thickness which remains constant to bi 'card which (FIG; 8 at is cut into maintain said film wholly between the planes of the op posite faces of said card.

4. A film record card comprising a paper card having an area in one face recessed to a predetermined depth and spaced from all edges of said card, said recessed area and the remainder of said card having the substantially unchanged and uncompressed fibrous structure of the original, card stock, an aperture positioned within said recessed area, the remaining portion of said area providing a recessed shoulder around the perimeter of said aperture, and a film secured by adhesive to said recessed shoulder, said film extending over said aperture and being not greater in thickness than the depth of said ground shoulder, said ground shoulder having a uniform thickness which remains constant to maintain said film wholly between the planes of the opposite faces of said card.

5. A film record card comprising a paper card having an area in one face recessed to a predetermined depth, said area and the remainder of said card having the substantially unchanged and uncompressed fibrous structure of the original card stock, said area extending along the entire length of the card and being narrower than the width of the card, an aperture positioned within said recessed area, the remaining portion of said area providing a recessed shoulder around the perimeter of said aperture, an adhesive coating on said recessed shoulder, and a filrn secured to the adhesive coated recessed shoulder, said film extending over said aperture and along the entire length of said card and being not greater in thickness than the depth of said recessed shoulder, said recessed shoulder having a uniform thickness which remains constant to, maintain said film wholly between the planes of the opposite faces of said card.

6. A method of making a film record card comprising grinding to a predetermined depth an area in one face of a paper cardstock, cutting an aperture within said ground area so that the remaining portion of said area forms a ground shoulder around the perimeter of said aperture, applying an adhesive coating to said ground shoulder, and securing a film to the adhesive coated ground shoulder, said film extending over said aperture and being not greater in thickness than the depth of said ground shoulder, said ground shoulder having a uniform thickness which remains constant to maintain said film wholly between the planes of the opposite faces of said card.

7. A method of making film aperture record cards comprising the steps of feeding a web of paper cardstock along a given path, grinding to a given depth in one face of the traveling paper web a selected portion of the web material occupying a predetermined area of uniform width narrower than that of the web and spaced from both longitudinal edges thereof, thus affording a longitudinally extending recess in one face of the web, forming apertures in the recessed portion of said traveling web at regularly spaced intervals therein, applying an adhesive material into said recess while the paper web is in motion, inserting into said recess while the paper web is in motion a strip of photosensitive film whose thickness is substantially equal to the depth of said recess, pressing said film strip to the adhesive covered recessed portion of the paper web, and cutting the resulting laminated web material at regularly spaced intervals to provide a plurality of record cards each one of which contains a film aperture, said recess having a uniform thickness which remains constant to maintain said film wholly between the planes of the opposite faces of said cards.

8. A method of making film aperture cards comprising the steps of feeding a web of paper cardstock along a given pat-h, intermittently grinding to a given depth at regular spaced intervals in one face of the traveling paper web selected portions of the Web material occupying predetermined areas of uniform width narrower than that of the web and spaced from all edges thereof, thus affording a series of longitudinally extending recesses in one face of the web, forming in each one of the recessed areas of said traveling web an aperture having an area less than the area of its related recess, applying an adhesive material into each recess while the paper web is in motion, inserting into each said recess while the paper web is in motion an individual strip of photosensitive film whose thickness is substantially equal to the depth of the recess, pressing each said film strip to the related adhesive covered recessed portion of the paper web, and cutting the resulting laminated web material at regularly spaced intervals to provide a plurality of record cards each one of which contains a film aperture, said recesses having a uniform thickness which remains constant to maintain said film wholly between the planes of the opposite faces of said cards.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,617,304 2/1927 Groeschel 156-250 2,633,655 4/1953 Langan l56306 2,770,080 11/1956 Hoyt 156-258 2,819,656 1/1958 Patterson 93-1 2,984,921 5/1961 Herzig 40-158 3,010,260 11/1961 Subklew 51-78 3,212,206 10/1965 Langan 40-158 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. EARL M. BERGERT, Examiner. R. I. SMITH, W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,279,111 October 18, 1966 John L, Morton It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 74 and column 5, lines 13 and 14, for "ground", each occurrence, read recessed Signed and sealed thls 5th day of September 1967,

( L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A RECORD CARD ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN APERTURE AND FILM SECURED OVER SAID APERTURE WHICH COMPRISES A PAPER CARD HAVING AN AREA IN ONE FACE RECESSED TO A PREDETERMINED DEPTH, SAID AREA BEING RECESSED TO A DEPTH NOT LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID FILM, SAID AREA AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID CARD HAVING THE SUBSTANTIALLY UNCHANGED AND UNCOMPRESSED FIBROUS STRUCTURE OF THE ORIGINAL CARD STOCK, AND AN ADHESIVE COATING ON SAID RECESSED AREA, SAID 